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Christian Democratic National Peasants' Party

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For the Moldovan political party, see Christian-Democratic People's Party (Moldova).
Christian Democratic National Peasants' Party
Partidul Național Țărănesc Creștin Democrat
LeaderAurelian Pavelescu
FoundedDecember 1989
Preceded byNational Peasants' Party
HeadquartersBd. Carol I, nr. 24
Bucharest
IdeologyChristian right[1]
Romanian nationalism[2]
Social conservatism
National conservatism[3]
Soft Euroscepticism[4][5]
Souverainism[6]
Russophilia[7]
Right-wing populism[8][9]
Anti-marxism[10]
Historical:
Agrarianism[11]
Pro-Europeanism[12]
Christian democracy[13]
Liberal conservatism
Anti-communism
Constitutional monarchism[14]
Political positionRight-wing to far-right[15]
Historical:
Center-right
European affiliationECPM (2020–present)
EPP (1987–2017)
European Parliament groupECR group (2020–present)
International affiliationCentrist Democrat International
ColoursGreen and blue
Senate
0 / 136
Chamber of Deputies
0 / 329
European Parliament (Romanian seats)
1 / 33
Mayors
3 / 3,186
[16]
County Councilors
0 / 1,434
[16]
Local Councilors
137 / 40,067
[16]
Website
www.pntcd.ro

The Christian Democratic National Peasants' Party (Template:Lang-ro, officially abbreviated PNȚ-CD) is a right-wing political party in Romania. Initially a Christian democratic[13] and agrarian[11] party, it claims to be the rightful successor of the interwar National Peasants' Party, created from the merger of the Romanian National Party (PNR) from the then Austro-Hungarian-ruled Transylvania and the Peasants' Party (PȚ) from the Romanian Old Kingdom.

PNȚ-CD was the largest and most important political party of the Romanian Democratic Convention (Template:Lang-ro) during the 1990s and was led by Corneliu Coposu and Ion Diaconescu, two former political prisoners during Communism, but as the 2000s began it gradually feel out of grace amongst center-right Romanian voters and slowly became an inactive microparty. The party was subsequently excluded from the European People's Party (EPP) in June 2017.[17] Eventually, it joined the European Christian Political Movement (ECPM) in February 2020.[18]

Given a tremendous disdain and resentment towards Pavelescu's leadership (the incumbent party president since 2011 onwards), another Christian peasant group known as the National Peasant Alliance (Template:Lang-ro) seceded from the main PNȚ-CD in 2019 (which, according to them and their electoral basin, greatly drifted from its original ideology) and centered around leader Radu Ghidău (one of the youngest PNȚ-CD MPs during the legislature of the late 1990s, more specifically the one spanning over 1996–2000) for the 2020 Romanian local elections.[19][20][21]

In the late 2010s, the party has come closer to the sovereignist right. If initially it was associated with the EU integration policy, at present the party has an Eurosceptic stance.[22]

History

1989–1992

From left to right: Ion Diaconescu, Corneliu Coposu, and Ion Rațiu at a 1990 manifestation held in Bucharest

The Christian Democratic National Peasants' Party was (re)-founded by Corneliu Coposu, Ioan Alexandru, and Ion Rațiu in December 1989, being thus the first officially registered political party after the fall of Communism. The party competed in the 1990 elections, where it ranked 4th with 2.5% (or 348,637 votes) and supported Ion Rațiu for president. The PNȚ-CD presidential candidate ranked 3rd, with 4.3% (or 617,007 votes).

Given the political dominance of the National Salvation Front (FSN) that was exerted prior and after the first free elections in post-1989 Romania, the PNȚ-CD decided to form a consistent alliance of centre-right parties aiming mainly to oppose it.

As a result, in 1991, most notably alongside the National Liberal Party (but also with other noteworthy civic organisations, foundations, and minor additional right-leaning political parties), the PNȚ-CD formed the Romanian Democratic Convention (CDR).

Eventually, the PNȚ-CD would affirm itself as the most dominant internal political force for much of the convention's existence. For the period 1990–1992, PNȚ-CD was one of the main opposition parties.

1992–1996

At the 1992 elections, the party ran on a common CDR list (along with other allied parties within the convention) and supported the candidacy of Emil Constantinescu as President of Romania. Consequently, the CDR ranked 2nd, having scored 20.16% (or 2,210,722 votes), while Emil Constantinescu managed to qualify in the second round of the presidential election where he finished second with 38.57% (or 4,641,207 votes). For the period 1992–1996, the party was the main opposition force in the Parliament of Romania.

1996–2000

At the 1996 elections, CDR managed to rank 1st, with 30.70% (or 3,772,084 votes), and once again supported the candidacy of Emil Constantinescu, who also managed to win the presidency with 54.41% (or 7,057,906 votes). For the period 1996–2000, PNȚ-CD was the most important governing party within the CDR, being also part of a grand coalition which included the Democratic Party (PD) and the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR).

At the 2000 elections, PNȚ-CD ran on a common CDR 2000 list and scored 5.30% (or 575,706 votes), being unable to pass the electoral threshold required for an alliance. This weak electoral result was primarily owed to the fragmentation of the alliance and the scission of the Romanian right into several other parties as well as to the tumultuous previous governing term. For the period 2000–2004, PNȚ-CD was in extra-parliamentary opposition.

2004–2008

PNȚ-CD headquarters in September 2008

At the 2004 elections, PNȚ-CD ran independently, having scored 1.9% (or 196,027 votes), failing this time as well to surpass the electoral threshold. The party supported the presidential candidacy of Gheorghe Ciuhandu, former mayor of Timișoara. Ciuhandu ranked 5th, with 1.9% (or 198,394 votes).

In March 2005, PNȚ-CD voted to change its name to the Christian Democratic People's Party (Template:Lang-ro, PPCD) after the unification with the Union for Romanian Reconstruction. Eventually, it returned to its original name (PNȚ-CD). The party did not compete in the 2008 legislative elections.

Afterwards, the party was split between a wing sustained by Marian Petre Miluț supporting Aurelian Pavelescu as president (who decided on an alliance with the then governing Democratic Liberal Party, PDL) and one supporting former Prime Minister and Bucharest mayor Victor Ciorbea as president (who, at that time, favoured an alliance with the National Liberal Party).[23]

2011–present

Party headquarters in Bucharest in December 2014

Victor Ciorbea was elected on 18 June 2011 president of the party. In September 2011, the Bucharest Courthouse (responsible for the parties registry) recognised Victor Ciorbea as party president.[24] Nonetheless, the split continued until Ciorbea left the party (until October 2012 namely) in order to become a senator on PNL's lists. Pavelescu was subsequently recognised as president and the fractions were dissolved.

For the 2012 legislative elections, PNȚ-CD ran on a common Right Romania Alliance (ARD), along with the Democratic Liberal Party (PDL), and the Civic Force (FC). The party won one senator seat and one deputy seat. On 23 April 2013, Pavelescu was elected president of the party.

At the 2014 European Parliament election, the party gained only 0.89% of the cast votes,[25] with candidates like former EP member Sebastian Bodu and the current party president, Aurelian Pavelescu, opening the list.

Following the 2019 European Parliament election and thanks to an agreement between the party and Social Democratic Party (PSD), the party has 1 MEP: Cristian Terheș.[26]

Motto

Its motto as of 2006 was Fiecare contează (Each one counts). At the 2014 EU elections, PNȚ-CD's motto was Renaștem pentru România ta! (Reborn for your Romania!).

Electoral history

Legislative elections

Election Chamber Senate Position Aftermath
Votes % Seats Votes % Seats
1990 351,357 2.56
12 / 395
 348,637 2.50
1 / 119
  4th  Opposition to FSN government (1990–1991)
Opposition to FSN-PNL-MER-PDAR government (1991–1992)
1992 2,117,144 19.46
41 / 341
 2,210,722 20.16
21 / 143
  2nd 
(as CDR)1 		Opposition to PDSR-PUNR-PRM government (1992–1996)
1996 3,692,321 30.17
81 / 343
 3,772,084 30.70
25 / 143
  1st 
(within CDR)2 		CDR-USD-UDMR government (1996–2000)
2000 546,135 5.04
0 / 345
 575,706 5.29
0 / 140
  6th 
(as CDR 2000)3 		Extra-parliamentary opposition to PDSR minority government (2000–2004)
2004 188,268 1.85
0 / 332
 196,027 1.90
0 / 137
  6th  Extra-parliamentary support for DA-PUR-UDMR government (2004–2007)
Extra-parliamentary support for PNL-UDMR minority government (2007–2008)
2008 did not compete4
0 / 334
 did not compete4
1 / 137
  3rd 
(on PNL's lists) 		Opposition to PDL-PSD government (2008–2009)
Opposition to PDL-UNPR-UDMR government (2009–2012)
Opposition to USL government (2012)
2012 1,223,189 16.51
1 / 412
 1,239,318 16.71
1 / 176
  2nd 
(as ARD)5 		Opposition to USL government (2012–2014)
Opposition to PSD-UNPR-UDMR-PC government (2014)
Opposition to PSD-UNPR-ALDE government (2014–2015)
Supporting the technocratic Cioloș Cabinet (2015–2017)
2016 did not compete Extra-parliamentary support for PSD-ALDE government (2017–2019)
Extra-parliamentary support for PSD minority government (2019)
Extra-parliamentary opposition to PNL minority government (2019–2020)
2020 did not compete Extra-parliamentary opposition to PNL-USR PLUS-UDMR government (2020–2021)
Extra-parliamentary opposition to PNL-UDMR minority government (2021)
Extra-parliamentary opposition to CNR government (2021–present)

Notes:

1 CDR members in 1992: PNȚ-CD, PAC (7 senators and 13 deputies), PNL-AT (1 senator and 11 deputies), PSDR (1 senator and 10 deputies), PNL-CD (4 senators and 3 deputies), and PER (no senators and 4 deputies).
2 CDR members in 1996: PNȚ-CD, PNL (22 senators and 28 deputies), PNL-CD (1 senator and 4 deputies), PAR (3 senators and 3 deputies), PER (1 senator and 5 deputies), and Ecologist Federation of Romania (FER - 1 senator and 1 deputy).
3 CDR 2000 members: PNȚ-CD, UFD, Ecologist Federation of Romania (FER), National Christian Democratic Alliance (ANCD), and The Moldavians' Party (PM).
4 PNȚ-CD competed on PNL lists.
5 Right Romania Alliance members: PDL (22 senators and 52 deputies), FC (1 senators and 3 deputies), and PNȚ-CD.

Presidential elections

Election Candidate First round Second round
Votes Percentage Position Votes Percentage Position
1990 Ion Rațiu 617,007
4.3%
  3rd 
1992 Emil Constantinescu1 3,717,006
31.1%
  2nd  4,641,207
38.6%
  2nd 
1996 Emil Constantinescu1 3,569,941
28.2%
  2nd  7,057,906
54.4%
  1st 
2000 Mugur Isărescu2 1,069,463
9.5%
  4th 
2004 Gheorghe Ciuhandu 198,394
1.9%
  5th 
2009 did not compete3
2014 Elena Udrea4 493,376
5.2%
  4th 
2019 did not compete5

Notes:

1 Emil Constantinescu was the common centre-right candidate that was endorsed by the PNȚ-CD in both 1992 and 1996 as part of the larger Romanian Democratic Convention (CDR).
2 Mugur Isărescu was endorsed by the PNȚ-CD at the 2000 elections as part of the Romanian Democratic Convention 2000 (CDR 2000) alliance.
3 Electoral protocol endorsing Traian Băsescu, the candidate of the Democratic Liberal Party (PDL), due to a decision enforced by the then official fraction of the PNȚ-CD led by Marian Petre Miluț.
4 Elena Udrea was endorsed by the People's Movement Party (PMP)-PNȚ-CD alliance at the 2014 Romanian presidential election.
5 Electoral protocol endorsing Viorica Dăncilă, the candidate of the Social Democratic Party (PSD).

European elections

Election Votes Percentage MEPs Position EU Party EP Group
2007 71,001 1.38%
0 / 35
  11th  EPP EPP Group
2009 70,428 1.45%
0 / 33
  7th  EPP EPP Group
2014 49,978 0.89%
0 / 32
  12th  EPP EPP Group
2019 did not compete1

Notes:

1 Electoral protocol endorsing the Social Democratic Party (PSD).

Presidents of the party

  Also served as Prime Minister
  Also served as Chamber President
Nº Name
Born - Died 		Portrait Term start Term end Duration
1 Corneliu Coposu
(1914–1995) 		1990 1995 5 years
2 Ion Diaconescu
(1917–2011) 		1995 2001 6 years
– Constantin Dudu Ionescu
(acting/ad interim)
(1954– 		2001 2001 less than 1 year
3 Andrei Marga
(1946– 		2002 2002 less than 1 year
4 Victor Ciorbea
(1954– 		2002 2004 2 years
5 Gheorghe Ciuhandu
(1947– 		2004 2007 3 years
6 Marian Petre Miluț
(1955– 		2007 2011 4 years
7 Aurelian Pavelescu
(1964– 		2011 2022 c. 11 years[27]

Notable members

References

  1. ^ "Familia (Politica) traditionala sau un referendum pentru rebranduirea PSD si PNL". 30 September 2018.
  2. ^ "Adevărul despre PNȚ-CD". 17 September 2020.
  3. ^ "Romania".
  4. ^ "Un partid din România cere boicotarea instituțiilor europene". 31 January 2022.
  5. ^ "Conservatorii din UE s-au adunat la Varșovia pentru a-și uni eforturile de contracarare a politicii Bruxellesului. PNȚCD, singurul partid din România prezent la reuniune". 4 December 2021.
  6. ^ "Partide conservatoare din 16 țări ale Uniunii Europene, printre care și PNȚCD, își unesc forțele pentru a exercita un impact asupra viitorului UE, contracarând federalismul, pierderea suveranității naționale și impunerea ideologiilor necreștine".
  7. ^ "Aurelian Pavelescu: România trăiește o rușine istorică!". 5 February 2022.
  8. ^ https://www.digi24.ro/stiri/externe/esec-la-summitul-populistilor-anti-ue-de-la-varsovia-un-politician-roman-alaturi-de-marine-le-pen-si-viktor-orban-1761127
  9. ^ https://romania.europalibera.org/a/cine-sunt-politicienii-antivaccini%C8%99ti/31535006.html
  10. ^ "Aurelian Pavelescu, alături de Marine le Pen și Viktor Orban la summit-ul "suveraniștilor" de la Varșovia". 6 December 2021.
  11. ^ a b Daniele Caramani (2013). The Europeanization of Politics. Cambridge University Press. p. 310. ISBN 978-1-107-11867-6.
  12. ^ "După PNŢCD, PDL şi PNL, care va fi noua putere politică în România? Un scurt istoric al partidelor româneşti post-decembriste din aripa dreaptă".
  13. ^ a b Bakke, Elisabeth (18 February 2010). "Central and East European party systems since 1989". In Ramet, Sabrina P. (ed.). Central and Southeast European Politics since 1989. Cambridge University Press. p. 79. ISBN 978-1-139-48750-4.
  14. ^ Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Romania: Information on the current situation of the Christian Democratic National Peasants' Party (Partidal National Taranese-Crestin si Democrat [PNTCD]) in Romania, 1 January 1994, ROM16270.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ab1378.html [accessed 10 May 2021]
  15. ^ "EXCLUSIV de ce a semnat PNȚCD un apel cu politicieni care vor dispariția UE | Newsweek Romania". 5 July 2021.
  16. ^ a b c "2016bec.ro".
  17. ^ "Primul partid românesc din PPE a fost EXCLUS! " A fost o EXECUŢIE în stil BOLŞEVIC"". 9 June 2017.
  18. ^ "PNTCD Romania becomes the newest member of ECPM". ECPM. 3 March 2020. Retrieved 2020-05-12.
  19. ^ "S-a creat Alianța Național Țărănistă". Flux 24 (in Romanian). 11 November 2019. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
  20. ^ "Alianța Național Țărănistă, noul partid lansat de vechii țărăniști". Servus Cluj (in Romanian). 7 February 2020. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
  21. ^ "Alianța Național Țărănistă va conta în alegerile locale din Constanța". Constanța 100% (in Romanian). 12 December 2019. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
  22. ^ "ŞOŞOACĂ, personalitatea politică a anului 2021! Cine a desemnat-o şi cine o urmează pe podium". 15 December 2021.
  23. ^ Newsin, Radu Sârbu a fost reales președintele aripii anti-Miluț a PNȚCD. September 26, 2009. Accessed on September 27, 2009
  24. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-06-04. Retrieved 2012-09-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  25. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-08-08. Retrieved 2014-05-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  26. ^ "PSD a pierdut un europarlamentar. Cristian Terheș a trecut la grupul extremiștilor din Parlamentul European". www.digi24.ro (in Romanian). Retrieved 2020-05-12.
  27. ^ Victor Gheja (4 February 2022). "PNTCD anunta ca l-a dat afara pe Pavelescu din partid: "Nu mai este presedintele partidului, nici membru al partidului"". Aktual24.ro (in Romanian). Retrieved 4 February 2022.

Further reading

  • Lavinia Stan, “From Riches to Rags: The Romanian National Christian Democrat Peasant Party,” East European Quarterly, vol. 39, no. 2 (Summer 2005), pp. 179–227.
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